10 Years After Fort McMurray Wildfire

A massive wildfire swept into Fort McMurray, Alberta, on May 3, 2016, forcing the evacuation of more than 90,000 residents and destroying or damaging 2,500 homes while scorching nearly 5,900 square kilometres of forest.

Officials described the blaze, dubbed "The Beast," as rapidly intensifying due to an unusually dry and hot summer, though its cause remains undetermined. Firefighters from Fort McMurray and surrounding areas mobilized immediately, working around the clock in what one called "organized chaos." Crews prioritized evacuations before shifting to structure protection, often enduring extreme heat. "It's basically like standing inside a furnace if you're close enough to it," said Evan Crawford, 40, a firefighter who joined the department in 2009 and now serves as president of the Fort McMurray Firefighters Association.

Residents recounted harrowing escapes amid gridlocked highways lined with flames. Ryan Pitchers, 51, a battalion fire chief, had been demonstrating a fire truck at an elementary school when smoke plumes appeared. "One of the teachers was like, 'Should we be worried about that?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, probably,'" he recalled. His team labored without rest for...